Attapadi – An open wound

During my visit to other states, when people come to know that I am from Kerala they always say a couple of good things about my state. I really liked it. After all who don’t want to hear good words about the native state.

Kerala rightly deserved the position. It is true that we have a habit of endorsing and celebrating bandhs hartals, industrial and political strikes, creating an industrial environment which might frighten even the most adventurous investor who wants to set up something in Kerala. We also send huge workforce abroad to the gulf and other countries. But Kerala also stands first in Human Development Index, highest in literacy, highest in life expectancy, lowest in infant mortality etc. On average a person in Kerala lives 8 years longer compared to India average. Kerala is also the only state in India where females outnumber males.

Defying all these statistics stands a tribal block in Palakkad district of Kerala called Attapadi.
Unlike socio-economic statistics of rest of Kerala; which can be compared to developed European countries, statistics of Attapadi is comparable to Sudan and other African countries and India’s most backward tribal districts. At least Sudan and other African countries can blame civil wars and insurgency for their backwardness. Tribal belts of Jharkhand, Orissa, and Chhattisgarh can blame everything on Maoism. But political parties and administration of Kerala don’t even have anyone else to blame. There is no civil war in Attapadi; no one is firing at government personals using their AK 47s. As a matter of fact, those poor tribal don’t even have three good meals a day.

See the statistics, Attapadi’s infant mortality rate is 66; Sudan is slightly ahead with 66.7 (for Kerala the number is just 6). Infant Mortality rate means how many kids dies for every 1000 newborns. As per India Spend report, the life expectancy of average Malayali has increased from 62 years in 1970-75 to 74.9 years in 2011. However, in Attapadi the life expectancy of an Adivasi came down from 70 years in 1975 to 59 in 2010. Remember that average life span of Adivasis in India is 64 years. The main characteristics of this place are low birth-weight, severe malnutrition, high infant mortality rates, severe vitamin and iron deficiency in pregnant ladies.

In the juicy political climate of Kerala, where governments were always run by centre-left and leftist parties, Attapady’s tragedy hardly reaches legislative assemblies. How much more has to die before these issues become the headlines? I wish the administration opened their eyes and see.

Now when someone says something nice about Kerala to me; more than happiness it is the guilt about state’s attitude towards Attapadi and other tribal belts in Wayanad and Idukki which comes to my mind. My head is not going to rise in pride but fell in shame.

Sajeev

Bangalore: Dry lakes and Fat Sewage Channels

Bangalore is a rare Indian city which doesn't have a river to call its own. Other cities, at least have a drainage channel (which was a river a couple decades back) to claim. Instead of rivers, Bangalore has (I should rather say ‘had’) a good number of freshwater lakes. Many of them are man-made. However, the rapid development of real estate effectively converted the land occupied by those numerous water sources to high rise apartments and office complexes. Most of remaining lakes went dry or slowly encroached upon.

Interestingly there is a drainage channel flowing behind my office. It has a good amount of water even in this dry season. The only problem is, this water is green in colour!!! It is coming from a near-by lake which is fed by industrial and residential sewage. For time being, we Bangalorians are fed by water from Kaveri; who knows how long she will be able to feed us? Did I tell you that, bore-wells in Bangalore already gone dry?  Essentially what we are looking forward is a time, in which we may have to adopt the life style of those living in the deserts.

Being a Keralite, who lavishly spent freshwater, future looks too dry.

Sajeev

Tear it apart – Wasting public funds and other crimes

Height of Stupidity

It is hard to understand why humans - considered to be ‘the’ foremost thinking animal in the world - still do such stupid things.

Only a couple of months back the workers came and completely re-tarred a nearby road here in Bangalore. Now some other people came and dig one side of it to replace a network of old underground pipes. Couldn’t these two groups talk to each other and do it in such a way that they replace the pipes first and then tar the road?

This is not the first-time absence of communication between two government departments waste public money and create more difficulties for public. Most often right after tarring a road someone will come to tear it apart (Water authority, Sewage treatment boards etc are some of the culprits). This not only waste public money but make half of the road not usable atleast for next 6 months.

When the ancient monument of Palmyra was destroyed by IS and when the monuments of Bahamian was destroyed by Taliban; world was stunned and wept. Everyone wondered how someone can do such barbaric acts. Newly tarred roads are neither Palmyra nor statues of Bahmiyan; but for those who walk and drive through those roads it is very much important. Destroying it is nothing less than destroying the beauty exists in the world.

Hope that whoever reading this will at least think twice before giving order to dig newly tarred roads.

Sajeev

Presidential News OVERDOSE – Please Stop

The problem with lengthy US presidential election is, both print and electronic media across the world would be filled with what each candidate did in every second. Is this required? I don’t think people around the world are so much worried (for one full year) about who is going to rule US for four years. The problem is media think it is THE most important thing in the world for that one year.

As if this is not enough, news outlets are in an overdrive this time. They see everything related to US internal and foreign policies through a prism called Trump. For most of them issues across the world where people live and die hardly matters when comparing with what Trump say or tweets.

I had great respect for US news media outlets; their high-quality journalism and good reporting backed with good evidence collected painstakingly. However, if they are continuing in this way, I don’t think I will have the same respect to them for long. You can criticize Trump, his policies but don’t make that the only news. Journalism is not copy pasting tweets or commenting on other people’s comments – even if it is US president.

Sajeev

Anti-Climax in Goa and Manipur

GOA

This is not something which even the veterans of Goan politics expected after elections. Most of them might have rightly guessed that, no single party would get the majority. A hung assembly was on the cards. 

However, an anti-climax like this were Congress despite have 17 seats pushed towards the opposition benches was a total surprise. Who would have imagined that, failing to nominate a CM candidate immediately is going to cost them five years? By the way, BJP’s current CM and many of his cabinet colleagues lost their seats in this election. 

To get the majority BJP pulled parties (who campaigned against BJP in elections) and crossed the half way mark. What more; they even formed a government!!! All those small party representatives got ministerial positions (I don’t know what else they got). Given enough incentives they may even join Congress.

Goa before election, ruled by BJP

Election Results

Total Seats - 40

Congress - 17

BJP – 13

GFP – 3

MGP- 3

Independent – 3

NCP – 1

In the election BJP lost 8 seats, while Congress gained 8 seats. It is true that, BJP got 32.5% of votes while Congress got 28.4% of votes. But it is not the percentage of votes, but the number of seats in the assembly which matters. 

MANIPUR

Total Seats – 60

Congress – 28

BJP – 21

NPP – 4

NPF – 4

AITMC - 1

LJP – 1

IND – 1

Here too Congress is the largest party. However, BJP with 21 seats suddenly formed the government. 

Media says BJP outfoxed Congress. However, I would rather say, all these political parties continue their habit of outfoxing people who elected them in the first place. What you think?

Sajeev